Seams



J. H. KLENCK.

DEVICE FOR RIPPING SE'AMS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18. 1919.

v Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

f sTAIEs PATENT OFFICE.

- JOHN H. Kantian, on waaannrnivnsvrnvama.

Demeter. RIPPING seams.

Specification OfLetterS Patent.

Application filed. February 18 1919. l Serial No. 277,761.

To all whom it mag concern: a i j w j Be it known that I, JOHN H. IiLENCIQfl. citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county ofWarren and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Ripping Seams, of which the following is a specification. 3

The present invention is a device designed for-use by tailors, dressmakers, and individuals, in ripping the seamsof garments in the makingof repairs and alterations and in recovering'material, and one of the primary. objects of the present inventionis to provide a. device for this purpose the use of which will not be likely to result in cutting or slashing of the cloth and which'will require no especial care or accuracy in its use,

thus enabling the work to be more eXped1- tiously and effectually performed "than where scissors "or some other implement is employed 'havingan exposed cutting edge.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the device that the same may be adjusted so as to adapt it to be initially employed for the purpose of starting the seam after which an adjustment maybe effected for the purpose of entirely housing the blade of the device so that the same cannot cause injury tothe cloth or tothe hands in the subsequent use of the] device in the further per formance of the rippingoperation. Incidentally it is an objectof the invention to-so construct the device thatwhen adjusted in the first mentionedmanner, it may be employedinthe expeditious removal ofbuttons, hooks, and eyes, and in fact all kinds of fastening devices employed upon garmerits, and may also be used in removing braid or other trimming. a

.Afurther object of the invention is to provide a device for thepurpose stated so.

' constructed that the stitches will be pulled by the device as Well as being cut thereby so as to leave the cloth as nearly free from stitches as is possible, after theripping operationhas beeen performed. A still further object of the invention is to provide a devicefor the purpose stated so constructed that the blade thereof may be readilyremoved for resharpening or for the substitution of a new blade.

The invention also contemplates so constructing the device that normally the blade will becompletely housed so that the device, when not in use, may be safely kept in a worksbasket or, drawer without likelihood of cutting ones hands in removing it or other articles from thesaid basket or drawer.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 :is a perspective view ofthe device embodying the present invention inits normal-adjustment; a.

Fig. 2 isa similar view illustratinglthe blade holder of the device adjusted to posit1on 'to adapt the device to be. initially em ployed in starting a seam to beripped;

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 4 is aperspective View illustrating the several partsof the device disassembled; Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinalsectional viewthrough the device.

As clearly illustrated in Fig.4; of the drawings, the device consists essentially of a bladerlndicated in general by the numeral 1, a blade holder indicated in general bythe numeral 2, andv a handle indicated in general by the numeralB. The blade 1 greatly resembles and in fact maybe a safety razor j bladefof thattype provided with two par allel cutt ng edges being indicated in. the

drawings one by the numeral 4. and the other by the' numeral 5 and while they are separately designated for convenience in describing the invention, it will be understood that there is no preference as to the manner in Which the blade is to be inserted within the holder 2. i. i j i The blade holder-,2 is preferably of sheet metal stamped or otherwise formed and foldedjto the required shape, and comprises two leaves 6 spaced slightly to form between them a pocket 71 having the same general contour as the leaves 6 and of dimensions tomoreor less exactly receive the blade 1. The pocket 7 opens through what may be termed the upper edge of the holder 2 as clearly shown in Fig. 4, of the drawings, but

along the inner end or heel of the holder but its outer end or toe is notched along the folded edge to produce a series of teeth 10 about midway ofthe ends of the said edge. This edge of the holder is formed relatively thin or sharp ,so that the teeth may serve to Patented Sept. a, rain.

extending from the front end to a point a certain extent to cut through and pull out the stitches without, however, injuring the cloth at the opposite sides of the seam being ripped. It will be evident and particularly from inspection of Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings that when the blade 1 is fitted into place within the holder. one of its cutting edges as for example its edge 5 will lie with- 1 in the bottom of the pocket 7. this edge throughout substantially the forward half of its length extending along the series of teeth 10 and intersecting the said teeth so that as the toothed edge of the holder is drawn along the seam, the stitches will enter betweenthe teeth and be severed by the portions of the cutting edge 5 of the blade which extend between adjacent teeth, the severed stitches being more or less completely withdrawn from the cloth through the rasping action of the said teeth 10. However, it. will be evident that this edge of the blade 1 lies inwardly of the extremities of the teeth 10 and consequently no injury can be occasioned when the hand is broughtinto engagement with this edge of theholder. The inner end or heel of the blade is entirely covered as at. 9. The holder 2 has the upper forward corners of its leaves 6 cut-away as indicated by the numeral 11 so that when the blade 1 is in place within the holder the forward portion of its upper cutting edge 4 willbe exposed as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings although the remainder of its said edge 4: is effectually protected as it lies within the bounds of the upper edges of the said leaves 6 of the holder. For a purpose to be presently explained the sides 6 are laterally offset in opposite directions as at 12 along parallel lines, substantially midway between the upper and lower edges of theholder so that shoulders 13 are formed extending lon- .gitudinally of the outer faces of the said leaves 6. The handle 3 of the device is also preferably formed from sheet metal and comprises spaced sides .15, a connecting back portion 14, and aconnecting bottom portion 16. The bottom portion 16 terminates iiiwardly of the forward end of the handle 3 at a distance substantially equal to the length of the blade holder 2, and the lower edges of the sides between the forward end of the said bottom portion 16 and the extreme forward end of the handle are formed with imvardly directed flanges 17'. Thus the forward portion of the handle is of channel formation, constituting a sheath adapted to slidably receive the upper portion of the said blade holder 2, the flanges 17 fitting beneath the shoulders 13 so that the holder will be rigidly held in place when slid into the sheath while the rearward portion of the handle constitutes av tubular hand-grip.

In the initial use of the device and for the purpose of starting a seam, or if desired for the purpose of removing buttons. fastenings or trimmings, the blade holder 2 may be slid forwardly within the sheath from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2 in'which latter posiholder and thus this exposed cutting edge portion maybe freely employed for the purposes stated. After the seam has been staried, however, the holder may he slid rearwardly-in the sheath to again assume the position shown in Fig. 1 of the i'lrawings whereupon the back 14 of the handle will etfectually house the entire cutting edge 4 of the blade so that no portion of this cutting edge will be exposed to cause injury to the hands. The toothed portion 10 of the holder may then be drawn along the seam without special care or attention being paid t the rapidity with which the device is moved along the seam, and the stitches will be severed by the portions of the cutting edge 5 of the blade which extend across the notches between the teeth 10 and will be more or less "completely drawn from the cloth through illustrated, however, is an eflicient one and will ordinarily be preferred. Thus while a greater portion of the leaves 6 of the blade holder might be cut away than indicated by the numeral 11 in the drawings, and the teeth 10 might be made to extend substantially the entire-length of the edge 9 of the holder, there is an advantage in the relative arrangement and extent of the cut-away portions 11 and the series of teeth 10, namely, that after the blade has once been inserted, substantially only one half of each cutting edge 4 and 5 thereof is subjected. to wear and when these halves have become dulled, the blade may be removed from the holder and reversed end for end thus bringing the other and yet sharp halves of the said edges into use.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A ripping device comprising a channeled member, a blade holder slidably fitted within said member and having at one edge a series of pulling teeth shaped to remove the severed threads, and a double edge blade disposed within the holder and having its front edge intersecting the teeth of the series, the holder being cut-away to expose a portion of the rear edge of the blade, said member in one position of adjustment of the holder therein constituting a sheath for covering the portion of said rear edge exposed by the holder.

folded lower edge having pulling teeth shaped to remove the severedthreads and to expose the lower edge of the blade, the

leaves of the holder being out away at their upper forward corners to expose part of the upper edge ofthe'blade and said ing exterior longitudinal shoulders; of a channeled handle having flanges along its 1 edges slidably engaging beneathfsaid shoulders whereby it may beadjusted to cover or expose that pa'rtof the upper edge of the blade exposed by the holder. a

3. In a ripping device, the oombination with a double-edgedblade, and a [holder folded into two leaves to embrace the blade, the folded lower edge having thread-pulling teeth along one-half ofits lengthf exposing 'a part of the blade between them,-theleave's being cut away at their upper cornersabove the teeth to expose "a part or the" upper edge having exterior longitudinal shbulders; of a channeled handle having flanges with which said shoulders may be engaged with .either end of the holder forward whereby the parts may be adjusted to cover or to expose thosev portions of theblade exposed by theholden.

a a l. In adeviee of the character described, the" combination with a blade holder-of V- shaped eaves hav-V seetionnotched along its angular edge to produce teeth, out awayat one end along its other edge,,and having shoulders along its SldGSfflIld. a doubleeedged blade removably inolosed within the holder with its cutting a edges exposed atsaid cut away portion and between said teeth; of; a hollow member tubular at -one end to forma handle and channeled at the other end to receive the back of the holder with either end of the latter forward, the channeled portion a have ing flanges slidably engagingsaidshoulders a Y and the bottom of the] tubularzhandle adaptedto abut theoontiguousfend of the holder." 5;; In a device vof the characterdeseribed, a

the combination I with a sheet metalbladeholder foldedxintolleave sand notched along 1 its fold to"produceteeth,{thefiends of the holderbeing closed andlitsbaekopen and its 7 leaves having longitudinal shoulders, and a l blade removably; inelosed-"withinthe holder withi its euttingQedge intersecting said teeth of;a}hollowu handle,tubular at one end to of the blade between them, and said leaves p end to injolosefthe back of the holder, the ehanne l'edj portion having, flanges} slidably form a handgrip and channeledatthe other JOHNLHJKLENCK. n

In testirnonyiwhereof I aifix my signature. 

